Heaven Up Here

[Anonymous]

Has anyone read “Heaven Up Here” by John Williams? I just read it and found it exceptionally good. I was emotionally exhausted by the end of it though. It’s about the author’s mission to Bolivia in the 80s. I never went on a mission, but had an interesting discussion with my husband after reading it (abt his mission in the 80s.) It was a very good book.

The author mentions some of the touchy issues in the church so has obviously been through a faith crisis or is a “NOM.” I want to recommend it as a good mission prep, except that those paragraphs might not be well received by more traditional believers. It wasn’t overly critical of the church though, and seemed fair.

What really struck me was how much the missionaries were simultaneously micromanaged with rules, but also left to their own devices in crazy ways. Like they had to be protected with curfews and music restrictions. But no one was watching to make sure they weren’t cluelessly walking into the middle of a dangerous political riot, or deathly ill with disease, etc. It scared me a bit, to be honest, about my son ever going on a mission (if he wishes to).

I’d love to know what others thought of the book.

[Author]

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